Tension means for drumheads



Dec. 7 1926.

0. GEISLER TENSION MEANS FOR DRUMHEADS Filed Oct. a. 1924 INVENTOR w=\av BY M d ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

U NI TED: STATE S OTTO GEISLER, F CI'IICAGO;'ILLINOI'S.

TENSION MEANS FOR DRUIvIHEADS.

Application filed October 8, 1924.

My invention relates to improvements in tension means for drumheads, andit consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An objectof my invention isto provide a tension means for drum heads inwhich the tension of the batter head. and the snare head. may beadjusted independently, of one an. other. This is especially-necessarywhen the batter and snare heads are of unequal thickness or strength.ln-theordinarytype of drum, it is a commonexperience to find that thebatter head has caused .an unnatural stretching of the snare head. dueto the fact that the tension means for the batter and snare heads havecommon connecting elements.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed by means of which either the.batterv orsnare heads may beadjusted or removed without in any way affecting the tension .of the remaining head in place upon theshell.

A further obj eet of my invention is to providea device of the characterdescribed in which that area encon'ipassing the mid portion of thecircumferential outer surface of. the shell is entirely unobstructed,thereby presenting not only a pleasing appearance, but providing-asmooth surface which in the. larger types of drums are apt to bear uponthe uniform orv coat of the person supporting the drum.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of thecharacter, described which is extremely rigid. due to the fact that aportion of the tension device is fashioned ntegral with the shellof thedrum. and all possibilityof movement relative to the shell therebyprecluded.-.

A further object of my invention is to provide device of the typedescribed that is simple in construction. that may be easily operated,that holds its adjustment with a high degree of efficiency, and which isthoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claim.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part ofthis application, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view through aSerial No. 742,462.

drum equipped. with my improved tension means,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view transverse to thesection shown inFigure 1, Figures is a fragmentary sectional view of amodified form ofmy invention,

Figured is a fragmentary sectional view of another modified form of myinvention, Figure is a viewalong the line, 5-5. of Figured, and i IFigureti is a fragmentary sectional view of a further modification of myinvention. 111,.carrying out my inventionl make use of a metal. annulardrum shell 1. I prefer to construct this shell of aluminum or otheralloy which is rigid and light in weight. The shell 1 is provided withthe ordinary type of batter head 2 and snare head preferably of a highquality of calf.

The heads 2 and 3 are held in place upon the shell 1 by means of hoops4t. and 5 having outwardly extending radial flanges 6 and 7,respectively, at theinner ends thereof. A plurality of tension. members8 are proiected through. suitable openings provided through the flangesSand 7. These tension members 8 have hook members at the innermost endsthereof, and are threaded on the opposite ends 10, (see Figure 2).Threaded adjusting ,nuts 11 are disposed upon the threaded portions ofthe members 8 on the outermost sides of the flanges 6 and 7. kl

A pairof. spaced apart, annular, radially extending, parallel flanges 12are carried integral witl the shell, and extend from the outer sur icethereof at equal distances from the mid point of the shell. Theseflanges are L-shaped in cross section and are disposed with'one side 13parallel with outerside wall of the shell and with that sideperpendicular to the shell disposed toward the hoops 4 and 5,respectively. The radially extending parallel flanges 12 are formedintegral with the drum shell 1 as shown in Figure 2. The entire shellwith the lugs 12 is manufactured by the die-casting process. 7

The hook portions 9 of the members 8 are fashioned to engage with theflanges 12 and to partially overlie the portions 13 of the flanges (seeFigure 2).

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, theoperation thereof may be readily understood. In adjusting the heads in adrum equipped with my improved tension means the batter head and thesnare head are first adjusted to a point as near as possible to theproper tension. This is done by turning the threaded adjusting nuts 11,thus drawing the hoops 1 and 5 respectively toward the mid point of theshell 1 and stretching the heads. In the ordinary type of drum when thebatter head or the snare head is adjusted, the remaining head isnecessarily stretched or loosened either way depending upon theadjustment applied to the head in question. It is readily apparenttherefore that there is a constant tendency toequalize tension of thetwo heads in the ordinary type of drum. Assuming, for the moment, thatthese heads are of the same strength and thickness it is still necessarythat the batter head be adjusted with greater tension than the snarehead. This is due to the "fact that some of the force imparted to thebatter head is lost in transmission from that head to the snare head ofthe drum. For this reason the batter head is usually given a little moretension than the snare head in order to transmit the stroke in full andstill retain suflicient force to properly rebound the sticks.

However, in the present day type of drum, the batter head is constructedof tougher. heavier material than the snare head, thus making itabsolutely essential for eflicient operation to have the adjustmenttension of the two heads: entirely separate, and accomplished bysuitable means. This I have accomplished in the provision of the tensionmeans described in the foregoing pages.

Another very important advantage attained is that either head may beremoved and replaced without in any way altering the adjustment of thathead remaining upon the shell.

In Figure 3 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which Iemploy a single flange to take the place of the pair of radiallyextending flanges 12 shown at 14. This flange 1a. is substantiallyT-shaped in cross section, thus permitting the hook portions 9 of themembers 8 to be engaged with the flanges from either side. Thisconstruction of course necessitates the use of members 8 eoasao whichare slightly longer than the type shown in Figure 2, but the operationin adjusting the heads is precisely the same. This construction isespecially advantageous in narrow shells.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown a further modification of my inventionin which I eliminate the annular flanges 12 and supply therefor radiallyextending lugs 15 substantially L-shaped in cross section (see Figure4.) with which the hook members 9 of the members 8 are permitted toengage in the manner shown in Figure 41. This modification of myinvention is especially useful when extreme lightness in the shell isdesired. In Figure 6 I have shown still a further modification of myinvention in which I employ radially extending lugs 16 having bores 17therethrough parallel with the outer surface and axis of the shell 1. This form of my inventionis employed with a tension member which does notcontain the hook portion '9, but instead an enlarged head portion 18 foreliminating the movement of the lug through the flanges 6.

\Vith reference to Figures 3 and 4. of the drawings, it will be notedthat the flange 14 and the lugs 15 are formed integral with the shell 1.In this form of the invention the flange and lugs are cast with theshell by a die-casting process.

I claim:

A drum comprising a shell having outwardly extending annular flanges,the flanges having outer portions bent at right angles and extendingtoward each other, thereby providing grooves facing one an other, abatter head covering one end of said shell and a snare head covering theother end of said shell, hoops binding said heads to said shell, saidhoops havingoutwardly eX tending flanges with openings therein, tensionmembers disposed in said openings and ha 'ing hook-shaped portionsreceivable in said grooves and bearing against the walls of said shellflanges, said hook-shaped por tions being spaced from each other, andmeans carried by said tension members and disposed opposite to said hoopportions for moving the hoops toward each other for increasing thetension upon said heads.

OTTO GEISLER.

